Professor Peter Smooker
Professor
Details
-
College: School of Science
-
Department: School of Science
-
Campus: Bundoora West Australia
-
peter.smooker@rmit.edu.au
Open to
- Masters Research or PhD student supervision
About
In the past five years, Professor Smooker has been awarded grants well in excess of $1M to research a variety of projects, focusing on vaccines and the development of therapeutic proteins. These funds have come from the Poultry CRC, ACIAR, the ARC and from industry. These projects have attracted and trained post-doctoral fellows and a number of PhD projects (twelve completions since 2004). Honours students and Master of Biotechnology students undertaking research projects are also trained in the laboratory. Professor Smooker also hosts research scientists on sabbatical leave into the laboratory. The Biotechnology laboratory is a vibrant, multicultural laboratory. If you would like to join, please send him an e-mail. We are looking for excellent students (with the potential to obtain scholarships!).
Summary of responsibilities:
- Biotechnology Laboratory Head
- Program Leader, Master of Biotechnology
- Core member and research group leader (with Dr Anna Walduck) Health Innovations Research Institute
- School of Applied Sciences Research Strength Leader (Infection and Disease)
- Co-convener, Bundoora Protein group
- International Postgraduate Recruitment
Specialty expertise areas:
- Antigen discovery
- Vaccine delivery systems
- Molecular parasitology
- Molecular microbiology
- Protein expression, structure and function
Collaborations
Companies:
- Nocturne. Research partnership. Developing recombinant toxin molecules as therapeutic proteins, Commenced 2009.
- BioDiem. Research partnership. Recombinant influenza as a vaccine delivery system. Commenced 2011.
- Tall Bennet. Research partnership. Profiling of yeast additives used in the dairy industry. Commenced 2010.
- Bioproperties. Research partnership/ co-supervision of students. Developing a vaccine against campylobacter. Commenced 2009.
- Orica. Research partnership/ co-supervision of students. Identification of bacteria that degrade explosive residues. Commenced 2009.
Institutes:
- Prince Henry's Institute for Medical Research. Co-supervision of postgraduate students
- Burnett Institute. Co-supervision of postgraduate students
- Institute for Biotechnology, Hanoi, Vietnam. Research partnership.
Summary of responsibilities:
- Biotechnology Laboratory Head
- Program Leader, Master of Biotechnology
- Core member and research group leader (with Dr Anna Walduck) Health Innovations Research Institute
- School of Applied Sciences Research Strength Leader (Infection and Disease)
- Co-convener, Bundoora Protein group
- International Postgraduate Recruitment
Specialty expertise areas:
- Antigen discovery
- Vaccine delivery systems
- Molecular parasitology
- Molecular microbiology
- Protein expression, structure and function
Collaborations
Companies:
- Nocturne. Research partnership. Developing recombinant toxin molecules as therapeutic proteins, Commenced 2009.
- BioDiem. Research partnership. Recombinant influenza as a vaccine delivery system. Commenced 2011.
- Tall Bennet. Research partnership. Profiling of yeast additives used in the dairy industry. Commenced 2010.
- Bioproperties. Research partnership/ co-supervision of students. Developing a vaccine against campylobacter. Commenced 2009.
- Orica. Research partnership/ co-supervision of students. Identification of bacteria that degrade explosive residues. Commenced 2009.
Institutes:
- Prince Henry's Institute for Medical Research. Co-supervision of postgraduate students
- Burnett Institute. Co-supervision of postgraduate students
- Institute for Biotechnology, Hanoi, Vietnam. Research partnership.
Supervisor projects
- Investigation of the pathogenicity mechanisms of newly discovered Campylobacter pathogens
- 2 Mar 2023
- Rapid detection and identification of pathogenic Vibrio spp. in seafood to assess the risk to Australian consumers and the seafood industry
- 17 Aug 2022
- Indias Anganwadi Transformation Initiative: A Study of Disruptive Vocational Education for Sustainable Development in a Post-Colonial context. Challenges and implications for UNEVOC TVET Innovation Agenda moving forward.
- 30 Jun 2020
- Characterisation of Novel Proteins Secreted by Campylobacter jejuni and Their Potential Relevance to Chicken Colonisation
- 5 Sep 2018
- The Investigation of Adjuvanted Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as a Novel DNA Vaccine Delivery System
- 1 Mar 2017
- Enhancing the Immunogenicity and Functionality of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Virus-like Particles
- 8 Mar 2016
- The Investigation and Characterisation of Protein Nanocapsules as an Emerging Nanoparticle Vaccine Delivery System
- 22 Feb 2016
- Investigation of the Molecular Mechanisms of action of L-sulforaphane, a Potent Dietary Chromatin Modifying Compound
- 12 Nov 2015
- Proteomic Analysis and Molecular Characterization of Anisakis pegreffii Allergenic and Immunogenic Proteins
- 3 Mar 2014
- Function and molecular interactions of the Fasciola hepatic cathepsin L5 protease
- 3 Mar 2014
- Modifying clostridial neurotoxins for human therapeutic use.
- 12 Mar 2013
- Utilising nanoparticles for DNA vaccine delivery
- 4 Mar 2013
Teaching interests
Professor Smooker teaches into a variety of postgraduate and undergraduate programs, and is a coordinator of Immunology and Bioinformatics courses. He has also undertaken the provision of short courses both internationally, and hosting international scientists in Australia. Please contact him if your institution is interested in training courses in molecular biology, molecular microbiology, food science, or bioinformatics.
The Master of Biotechnology program that Professor Smooker leads has a large intake of both local and international students; please feel free to contact him for information on the program.
Supervisor interests
Targeting of the immune system, DNA vaccines, bioinformatics, protein structure/function, malaria.
The Master of Biotechnology program that Professor Smooker leads has a large intake of both local and international students; please feel free to contact him for information on the program.
Supervisor interests
Targeting of the immune system, DNA vaccines, bioinformatics, protein structure/function, malaria.
Research interests
Development of therapeutic proteins; Identifying candidates for poultry vaccines; Development of vaccines for parasites; Expression of recombinant proteins in various systems; Structure and function of proteins; Recombinant vaccines using commercial Salmonella and Influenza vaccines
